¹⁷ But you, gird up your loins; stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not break down before them, or I will break you before them.^(A)

⁷ But the Lord said to me,

⁴⁶ But the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; he girded up his loins and ran in front of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.^(A)

A Call to Holy Living

¹³ Therefore prepare your minds for action;^[a] discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.^(A)

¹⁴ The spirit lifted me up and bore me away; I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the Lord being strong upon me.^{(A) 15} I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who lived by the River Chebar.^[a] And I sat there among them, stunned, for seven days.^(B)

¹⁶ At the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁷ Mortal, I have made you a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.^{(C) 18} When I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and you give them no warning and do not speak to warn the wicked from their wicked way in order to save their lives, those wicked persons shall die for their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand.^(D)

Watchful Slaves

³⁵ “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;^(A)

²⁸ Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the Lord.^(A)

² You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land.^(A)

¹⁰ He said to me, “Mortal, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart and hear with your ears; ¹¹ then go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them. Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”^(A)